Hoke targets defensive, RB recruits

As was the case with Chuck Long before him, San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke has been forced to make hay while handcuffed by the restraints of time.

It's recruiting on the run, coaching on the fly, honoring commitments from players who committed to a staff since departed.

This is the challenge that comes with change, the hurdle that comes with a new hire.

“Obviously, it's a lot easier when you have some familiarity with the area and the kids have some familiarity with you,” said Hoke, who will unveil his first recruiting class today. “The more prepared you are for something, the better off you're going to be.

“We've tried to do the best we can by getting out and seeing coaches and looking at prospects and looking at video. We've essentially tried to do 12 months' work in three weeks.”

Having recruited 19 players that were either offensive or defensive linemen during his three seasons at SDSU, Long, before being dismissed, said he was intent on addressing skill positions in 2009.

While the Aztecs received oral commitments from five players who were either receivers or quarterbacks before Long's firing, Hoke and his staff immediately turned their focus on two of the team's most pressing areas of need: defense and running back.

Though vulnerable across the board defensively, as witnessed by its ranking as the nation's seventh-worst in 2008, SDSU went particularly hard after secondary help, where no fewer than six defensive backs are expected to be part of this year's class.

Hoke also took aim at a running game that last season averaged 73.2 yards, third-worst in the country and ninth in the nine-team Mountain West Conference. Two of the higher profile players expected to be introduced today are running backs, with La Habra High's Ronnie Hillman and Dallas Carter High's Anthony Miller potentially capable of contributing immediately.

The 6-foot, 220-pound Miller, ranked by the recruiting service Rivals.com as the 45th-best back in the nation, also had offers from Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Tulsa, UTEP and Louisiana Tech. Purdue and Texas Tech also were interested in Miller's services.

Hillman, meanwhile, who spurned Fresno State and Colorado State, rushed for 1,251 yards and 14 touchdowns last season while catching 56 passes for 853 yards and 13 scores.

“No matter what we've done (recruiting) to this point, it's never going to be good enough for me,” Hoke said. “You're never going to be perfect when you're doing this, but you want to be as perfect as you can be.

“Recruiting is far from an exact science. You want guys that are going to be of high integrity and good character, guys who are going to not only be good football players, but good teammates.”

SDSU, which had 17 scholarships available, reached that total over the weekend with commitments from Miller and Palisades High safety Khalid Stevens. An 18th player, El Camino High quarterback Colton Morrison, will grayshirt, meaning he will join the Aztecs in 2010. Hoke's first recruiting class is comprised entirely of high school players.

“Obviously, most of your junior college guys are already attending other schools,” Hoke said. “We looked at a couple of (junior college) kids, but it's been difficult enough in the time we've had just dealing with the high school end of it. When we have more time to evaluate, I think you'll start seeing us become more active with JC guys.”